Weekly Immigration Update 26 May 2020

A summary of the latest developments in Immigration law between 19 May 2020 to 26 May 2020.

Caselaw:

Mohammed v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2020] EWHC 1337 (Admin)

Unlawful detention – interim relief granted – telephone hearing – removability and reasonableness of removal – period of detention.

Otobo, R (on the application of) v Secretary of State for the Home Department [2020] EWHC 1340 (Admin)

Judicial Review – adequate alternative remedy – delay – adjournment refused – telephone hearing – substantive merit of the claim – refusal of EEA residence card – Claimant failure to engage – costs

Badmus & Ors, R (On the Application Of) v The Secretary of State for the Home Department [2020] EWCA Civ 657

Flat rate of payment for paid activity carried out by detainees in immigration detention – fix and subsequently maintain rate of £1.00 (or £1.25 for special projects) – Section 153 of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999 – Article 14 ECHR – dismissed.

Guidance:

Coronavirus (Covid-19) Guidance:

1. Coronavirus (COVID-19): travellers exempt from UK border rules
2. Coronavirus (COVID-19): advice for UK visa applicants and temporary UK residents
3. Coronavirus (COVID-19): bereavement scheme for family members of NHS and health and social care workers

Country Guidance:

1. Ghana: country policy and information notes

General Guidance:

1. EU Settlement Scheme: application processing times
2. EU Settlement Scheme caseworker guidance
3. Prosecution under section 2: failure to produce immigration document
4. Migrant journey: user guide
5. Applying for a UK visa: approved English language tests
6. Inspection report published: An inspection of Administrative Reviews (May – December 2019)

News:

1. ‘Some migrants are too scared to seek healthcare’
2. The new immigration rules are not really about Brexit. They’re about ripping off workers
3. Lockdown gives asylum seekers reprieve and hope for change in policy
4. The NHS surcharge for migrant staff is gone. Why did it take such a fight?
5. Despite U-turns, migrants are being failed miserably
6. Outrage at U-turn on promise to reunite child refugees with UK family
7. Home Office announces further visa extensions to 31 July for overseas nationals unable to return home due to Coivd-19
8. Martin Rowson on Boris Johnson’s U-turn on the NHS surcharge — cartoon
9. Priti Patel announces 14-day quarantine for travellers to UK
10. UK quarantine plan: what will it mean for travellers?
11. Coronavirus: What are the UK travel quarantine rules?
12. All people arriving in UK from 8 June must quarantine for 14 days
13. Calls to scrap ‘unfair’ NHS surcharge for all migrant workers
14. ONS: Non-EU net migration rises while EU net migration falls, leading to broadly stable overall figure
15. The NHS surcharge debacle reveals a government both cruel and useless
16. ‘Britain is great’: Syrian porter thanks public after NHS migrant surcharge U-turn.
17. A timeline of PM’s U-turn on NHS surcharge for migrant health workers
18. Steve Bell on Johnson’s help for heroes – cartoon
19. The Guardian view on Covid-19 politics: a government in disarray
20. Johnson forced to drop NHS surcharge for migrant health workers
21. Court rules Home Office setting bar too high for visa fee waivers
22. Coronavirus triggers fall in UK asylum and visa applications
23. Tory MP backs Labour call to scrap NHS fees for migrant health staff
24. Lawyers deny British army to blame for veterans’ illegal immigrant status
25. More bereaved families of NHS staff can stay in UK
26. Not-for-profit law firm Commons says requirement to declare nationality in criminal proceedings is undermining equality before the law
27. Sinister immigration bill makes me ashamed to be British
28. Immigration bill shows UK ministers value strawberries more than people needing social care